


Past Dwelling

by FallenAutte



Category: Lego Ninjago
Genre: Gen, Implied/Referenced Suicide attempt, Nightmare, Obscure Timeline, Post-Season/Series 05, Pre-Season/Series 06, Suicide Attempt, and wu's dragon is mentioned, but it's before s6, mentions the pilots, so probably somewhere between 5 and 6, wu is the 3am tea cryptid
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-16
Updated: 2019-09-16
Packaged: 2020-10-20 03:41:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,115
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20668727
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FallenAutte/pseuds/FallenAutte
Summary: Jay has a nightmare and is forced to remember the most stupid and reckless thing he'd ever done.





	Past Dwelling

The wind howls in his ear and lightning crashes overhead - it's a miracle he hasn't been struck when he stands at the tallest reachable point of Ninjago City, with a half metal contraption strapped to his back. He gives one last glance towards the leather connectors of the wings, and down to the streets below. His heart jumps to his throat and he nearly backs out, but instead, he chooses to close his eyes. His rearing step back isn't much, but it's enough to give him enough forward momentum to launch himself off the edge of the building.

The wings catch the wind for a moment before they snap. Jay doesn't have enough time to scream before his vision fades in his panic.

* * *

Jay jolts awake, bangs his head on the underside of his own bed and lets out a shout and a curse - he must have fallen off in his panic from the dream. The room is still dark, and the soft snores of his teammates lull the atmosphere. It doesn’t do much to calm his nerves.

He rolls out from underneath his bed and reaches up to search around in the dark for his phone on his nightstand. He finds it easily on the edge of the small dresser, the glossy case is a stark contrast from the rough wood, and turns the screen on to check the time. He keeps his brightness down at night, so he’s far luckier when compared to others in the sense that he isn’t immediately blinded by the light. The time reads as 2:48 -  _ way  _ too early to be awake. He doesn’t pay any mind to the notifications that fill up his phone, and leaves them for his morning self to deal with.

Setting his phone back onto his nightstand, Jay slowly pulls himself back onto his bed. He finds his old stuffed animal tangled in with his blanket on the floor, and pulls it to his chest while he rocks himself back and forth in a calming manner. The creaking of the old wooden  _ Bounty  _ and the slow creaking of his bed under his shifting weight brings a grounding feeling to him, and he finds it easier to remember where he is. If he listens closely, he can hear the murmur of the engines and the whistling of the wind while the  _ Bounty  _ hovers idly hundreds of feet over the Sea of Sand, its anchor dug into the topsoil to keep it in place while the inhabitants sleep.

The rocking helps calm Jay’s nerves and his heart slowly settles, but he doesn’t believe that he will be able to go back to sleep after a while of being wide awake. With a resolute sigh, he swings his legs over the edge of the bed and pulls himself up. He keeps Mr. Cuddlywump under his arm and he sneaks out of the room, careful of creaking floorboards and squeaky door hinges when he steps out into the dark hallway and heads down to the galley.

The light blinding him when he flicked the switch isn’t the most shocking thing about Jay's entrance to the kitchen, however. Once his eyes adjust to the new bright light, he jumps and shouts at the presence of Sensei Wu, sipping tea idly at the table.

“I sensed a disturbance,” he says, setting down his teacup in front of him with a hum. "What seems to be on your mind, Jay?"

Jay doesn’t answer right away as he pulls a plastic cup from the cupboard and fills it with water from the fridge. “Er, remember when you found me?”

A thoughtful look crossed the old sensei’s face. “You were testing out a pair of wings you had built, I was worried that they could have failed.”

Another uncomfortable silence befalls the pair while Jay takes a seat across from Wu with his water and slowly drinks it down. Mr. Cuddlywump remains tucked tightly under his arm and close to his chest, and Jay is only mildly embarrassed about being seen with it out in the open. If Wu were anyone else, he would be trying his best to hide the stuffed animal from view.

The prolonged silence worries the old master - he furrows his brows and purses his lips in concern. “Jay?”

“They were  _ supposed  _ to fail.” The lightning master’s voice is quiet, muffled even more by the empty plastic cup that he holds over his mouth for seemingly no reason. “I made them intentionally so they would fall apart during the fall. I was perfectly capable of creating functional wings and I consciously chose not to. Yet, they still worked. Instead of dying from the fall, the worst I got was a concussion and a broken arm from the billboard.” Partially through the explanation, he lowers the glass and places it on the table, but keeps his gaze fixed intently on it. His hands knead gently into the fabric of his plush toy while he struggles to keep his anxiety down.

Sensei Wu’s only response for a while is a slow and gentle nod along with Jay’s words. He can’t urge his pupil to continue, and he doesn’t need him to either. The glimmer in his somber eyes is resolute. “I suppose-” he begins slowly, bringing his teacup to his lips to take a slow sip. “-that I found you just in time. Do you still feel this way?”

Jay’s eyes widen briefly, but his gaze remains downcast. “No, I don’t, not anymore,” he answers quickly. “I felt that way because I didn’t think I had a purpose; I didn’t know I was special, but I do now. I could never give up what I have now.”

“That is good to hear.” Wu sets down his now-empty cup one last time, and slowly rises from his seat at the table. “Now, it is late, and I best be off to bed, as should you.” However, as the sensei is leaving, Jay speaks up suddenly, a burning question on his mind.

“Would you have caught me? If I  _ did  _ fall, I mean…”

Sensei Wu stops, but doesn’t turn to look at him while he answers. “What matters now is that you didn’t fall. There is little use now to dwell on the past.” Without another word ushered, Wu finally leaves to his own quarters, leaving Jay alone in a ringing silence.

The nightmare had shaken him badly, but having this conversation with Wu managed to calm him completely. Slowly and carefully, he cleans up after himself and makes his way back to the bedroom that he shares with his teammates. He may be able to get a decent rest after all.


End file.
